Ladder



H. HOGAN.

LADDER.

' APPLICATION Flu-:6 FEB. 21, i9lB.

1,305,191 I v Patented; ]![[ay27,1919.

HARVEY HOGAN,

or nocKronn, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR 'ro M. I. MORLEY, or

ROCKFORD,

ILLINOIS.

LADDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 27, 1919.

Application filed February 21, 1918. Serial No. 218,523.

To all whom it may concern: 1

Be it known that I, HARVEY HoGAN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Rockford, in the county of Winnebago and State of Illinois,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ladders; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to improvements in ladders, and has for anobject to provide a ladder adaptedmore particularly for the use of treetrimmers; and to this end the invention has for an object to provide asingle stile foldable ladder having means to secure it in the foldedcondition and a handle whereby it may be readily transported from placeto place.

Another object of the present invention resides in providing a ladderwith a hook by which it may be suspended above the ground, and with arest which is adapted to support the ladder when resting on the ground,while also providing a first step for the ladder in the elevatedposition.

The invention also aims to provide an improved connecting joint betweenthe hinged sections of the ladder stile and improved steps made up ofsingle lengths of strap metal.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application, and inwhich similar reference symbols indicate correspondin% parts in theseveral views:

igure 1 is a perspective view of one form of a ladder constructed inaccordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the ladder in the folded position; and

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the connection betweenthe stile sections of the ladder.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 designates an upper and 2a lower section of the single stile of the ladder. The leaf 3 of a hingeis secured to the upper section 1, while the leaf 4 of the same hinge isfastened to the adjacent end of the lower section 2. The hinge providesfor folding the sections 1 and 2 as shown in Fig. 2, in which positionthey are securely held together by a strap 5 through which they arepassed; and the ladder in such folded condit1on is adapted to be readilyand conveniently transported by means of the handle 6 attached at aconvenient point to one of the stile sections.

A brace 7 is held by a bolt 8 on the end of the stile section 1, suchbrace extending beyond such end and being adapted to lie in contact withthe adjacent side of the stile section 2 to which it is connected by abolt 9 having a winged nut 10 for convenience in removing and replacing.

Side members 11 are formed in the same piece with the brace 7 and extendat right angles thereto and close against the corresponding faces of thesections 1 and 2. Bolts 12 may be used to connect these members to thesection 1.

At the bottom ofthe lower section 2 of the stile I provide a restconsisting of a looped strip or length of strap iron, or other suitablematerial, having side supporting arms 13 and a ground engaging andthreadportion 1%. The arms 13 are secured as by the bolts 15 to thestile. The rest provides a means whereby the ladder is supported on theground and it supplies the further function of forming a first step whenthe ladder is suspended at an elevation above the ground as, forinstance, when the hook 16 at the top of the ladder is engaged with thebough of a tree, in which case the ladder becomes a scaling ladder.

Steps are provided at opposite sides of the ladder stile, as clearlyshown in Fig. 1, the successive steps alternating on opposite sides andpreferably composed of single lengths of strap metal having horizontaltreads 17 projecting at right angles from the face of the stile to whichthey are secured, and being supported by braces 18 bent from the outerends thereof and returned diagonally to the stile. The terminal ends 19and 20 of the treads 17 and diagonal braces 18 are bent over andperforated to receive fastening means 21 by which they are secured tothe ladder in the appropriate position.

I also preferably provide the ladder with a guard 22 at the upper end ofthe stile, and in the instance shown in the drawings the guard isadvantageously formed of a single piece of metal perforated centrallyfor the passage of a bolt 21 by which it is secured in place, and beingcurved to conform to the" curvature of a tree in" 01 der to hold theladder against lateral motion. 7 t .1;

I11 use the ladder is plated" the toilet; tion shown in Fig. 1, with thebolt 9 enga ed through the brace 7 and the ladder is eit elf supportedfrom the ground by the rest 14 or from an object above by the hook 1t Inthe latter case'the' rest 14 will be supported at an elevation above theground and will constitute the first step of the ladder. k I

When the ladder is to be transported, the Winged nut 10 may be; removed"from tlie bolt 9 and thesectio'ns '1 and 2 folded about: the hinge 3, 4,so that the sections'li'e parallel, as indicated in Fig; 2 The strap 5is then passed about said) sections to secure them together, and" thehandle- 6 may be grasped and the ladder lifted" and trains ported. Thestrap-5 is also useful in holding the stile at any point to an objectto" which it is applied to prevent swaying of the ladder. r a a a It isobvious that those skilled" in: the-art may 'vary the details ofconstru'ctibnand" including a stile composed of upperaridmetastases; aHinge ceamaitgi'sna upmay swungapa'rt, steps carried'byfsaid stilesections; a looped rest providing a:

tread carried by the lower section at the lowe'r end" thereof," aguard-secured to the upper endofthenpper stile section and proecti'ngtoopposite sides thereof, said" rest and guard being disposed close'together whenthe sections are foldeda' hook carthe upperjseetionrejecting upwardly" therebeyonegtsaid hook-'- of said sec'tion'srand'means passing about" both or the sections and through said ban-'-dle whereby thesec'tion'smay be secured w 6'5' gether, substantially asdescribed;

In testimony whereof, I afiiiz' sig na HARVEY HOGAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for live ce'lits cant;byaddressing th "0onii1iiSioner o'f' re ains, V wa'slii'igton," n. 0:-

I p by side, a hinge" connecting said sections whereby the 'sa'x'ne Igiving its pointedbi-ll" arranged'c'loseto sfaid'rest' when the'sec'ti'0nsare folded, a handle fixed to one

